


Slow Descent

by GummiGoomy



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mostly Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pokemon, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28908939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GummiGoomy/pseuds/GummiGoomy
Summary: Some say that falling in love is fast, quick, easy. But for Raihan it was never those things. It was slow and steadfast. This is the story of Raihan, his life, and his slow descent into love.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 17
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp I suck at summaries. Hope you enjoy!

_ Become the Champion. _

With those “very” supportive words, Raihan’s parents threw him out into the world. An endorsement letter in his pocket and Trapinch at his feet, Raihan made his way to Motostoke. Trainers from around Galar flocked to the city. Some had already formed groups and cliques. They walked around Motostoke, laughing and talking with each other.

A small trainer battle was happening by a riverside. Rookidee flew over the heads of curious onlookers. The opponent’s Oddish jumped off a bench. The green beams of absorb blasted from its leaves, desperately trying to reach its foe in the sky. Rookidee shook off the attack like it was nothing.

_ Weak. _

Raihan scoffed at the Oddish’s trainer. Someone who didn’t understand type advantages shouldn’t even be battling let alone competing in the Gym Challenge. It’s not like it was hard to  remember that a grass type was weak against a flying type.

He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked through the streets. A few trainers out and about were already in their challenger uniforms. They strutted around like Unfezant showing off their plumage. Tourists stopped to take pictures of everything in sight. They excitedly chatted, wondering aloud which trainers would go on to become gym leaders or if a new Champion would be crowned.

_ Trick question. The next Champion is right here. _

Nobody knew that yet. If they did, he’d already have swarms of fans running up to him. Of course, he’d be completely modest about it; shake a few hands, take some pictures, maybe sign a few autographs. But for now, nobody really paid attention to the ten-year-old (future champion) wandering the streets. He should enjoy this peace and quiet while it lasts, he thought as he pulled his sweater up a little higher to hide the uniform underneath.

Raihan stopped in front of a pastry shop. He stared at the sparkling sweets in the window. Was there enough time to buy some snacks before the Opening Ceremonies? He could always grab some scones to sneak in as a post-breakfast snack. Then again, those mini custard tarts were just calling Raihan’s name.

No harm no foul, right? He entered the pastry shop. It was warm and a sweet aroma filled the air.

“Hey!” Some girl from behind pushed past him. 

He stumbled forward a little. She ignored him to wave at her friends, only briefly turning around to mutter a quick apology. She froze as Raihan glared daggers at her. She mumbled another apology before rushing off to her friends. They whispered to each other, glancing back at him every few moments. From afar, Raihan could see the Challenger bands around their wrists.

_ People with no awareness shouldn’t be competing. _

Raihan shoved his hands in his pockets. Quietly, he trudged up to the counter and paid for his order. With a small brown bag in hand, he left the shop a little happier than before. With sweets in hand, he was finally ready to make his way to the Opening Ceremonies. He could wait til he got there and risk getting in trouble, or he could eat his custard tart now. That sounded like a good option.

“Whoops!” He suddenly lurched forward, pushed by some passerby. His custard tart met a new owner. A cold, dark enemy called the ground.

_ Custard tart, you will be avenged. _

Raihan mustered his deadliest glare. What he was met with was a boy around his age. He didn’t seem affected by the glare, but more so by the tart on the ground.

“I’ll buy you another one,” the boy quickly said.

“Forget it.” Raihan crumpled the paper bag up. He tossed it into a nearby trashcan like he was shooting hoops. It landed perfectly in. The boy clapped.

“Sorry about your tart! Um, this is kind of silly, but I’ve never been here and I’m lost. Could I ask for your help?” he smiled.

Raihan looked him once over.

Everything about the boy screamed “country hick.” He wore a gaudy black and yellow hoodie with a wooloo print T-shirt underneath. A red hat with a pokeball design sat on his head. It matched the boy’s equally stupid smile.

“No.”

With that, he turned and walk away. Raihan didn’t help custard tart murderers. Especially not those with poor fashion sense.

“Hey wait!” The boy ran after him. Raihan walked a little faster. The boy followed suit. “I’m not sure where to go!”

“Get lost!” Raihan yelled over his shoulder.

“That’s kind of my problem!”

He wanted to scream. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked even faster. Raihan glanced over his shoulder as he rounded a corner. The boy was still right behind him. Motostoke Stadium was now right in front of him. Maybe he could lose the boy in the crowd or just outpace him.

_ Step. _

_ Step. _

_ Step. _

He was still there.

_ Step. _

_ Step. _

Now, this. This was getting annoying.

_ Step…. _

_ Step. _

“Stop following me!” Raihan whipped around. The boy nearly ran into him again but took a few steps back before collision.

“I’m not following you!” he defended. “We just happen to be going in the same direction!”

“Five minutes ago you didn’t even know which direction you were supposed to be going!”

“I’m going to the stadium.”

Great. A gym challenger. Or worst. A  _ tourist _ .

“I can see it so I won’t get lost! Probably…”

Raihan groaned. If he managed to get lost while walking in a straight line, Raihan would actually be impressed. 

“If you get lost, ask someone else for help.” He turned and walked away. To nobody’s surprise, the boy followed him. He walked alongside him, grinning like an idiot.

“My name’s Leon, by the way!”

“And I don’t care.”

“Oh come on! This is the  first chapter in the legend of Galar’s  Future Champion Leon! I’d like to  at least know  your name.”

Honestly? Raihan would have preferred a tourist.

“I didn’t know you were a comedian.”

“It’s true! Master Mustard said I had the most potential!”

Raihan let out a curt laugh. The smile from Leon’s face finally fell. An annoyed pout formed on his lips instead.

“What kind of name is Master Mustard? Is that like first name Master? Last name Mustard?”

“ _ Champion  _ Mustard. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.” He looked pleased with himself. He crossed his arms with a proud look on his face. As if the name drop did anything but make him look like a lying prick.

“Now you’re making stuff up.” Like that Leon’s face fell again. He spluttered out some nonsense about ‘I always tell the truth’ and ‘it’s what he said.’

“You’re not going to be Champion, because _I_ will! I’m Hammerlocke royalty. Being Champion is in my blood!”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Raihan half expected the kid to get angry. He half expected him to turn around and storm off. But if Raihan had learned anything in the past ten minutes it was that Leon was anything but ordinary. He suddenly grinned and jumped into an energetic stance. He pulled a pokeball off his belt and pointed a finger at Raihan.

“Then I’ll just have to beat you in a Pokemon battle!”

Raihan could only stare. He wanted to say no. He wanted to walk away and pretend he never met the annoying boy. But then he stared into those eyes.

They burned.

Like golden flames waiting to gobble him up. His blood boiled, itching to take action. In an ironic turn of events, he grinned. He grabbed Trapinch’s pokeball and tossed it in the air with a flourish, easily catching it in his hand.

“You’re on.”

One battle couldn’t hurt.

_ Bark! Bark! Bark! _

Both boys looked down at the little yellow Yamper at their feet. Leon bent down and picked it up, cooing greetings at the little dog.

“Yours?” Raihan asked.

“Nah. My Pokemon’s much cooler!” That didn’t stop him from giving Yamper belly rubs. Its fur happily sparking at the attention.

“That’s rude!” A girl walked up to them. She crossed her arms indignantly. “I’ve spent the last hour looking for you, and you insult my  Yamper ?!”

“Hey Sonia! And I didn’t say he wasn’t cool! My Pokemon is just cooler! Yamper’s the coolest guide Pokemon!” Leon placed Yamper on the ground. It curiously sniffed at Raihan a few times before running back to its trainer.

Sonia rolled her eyes. “If you stopped getting lost all the time, we wouldn’t need to keep looking for you!”

Good to know this wasn’t an isolated incident.

“And are you challenging people to battles again? We’re already late for the Opening Ceremonies!”

Raihan stuffed his pokeball back in his pocket.

“No,” Raihan replied for Leon. He turned and left. Whoever that Sonia girl was, he did not want to get caught up in her lectures.

“Hey wait!” Leon chased after him, earning a ‘Hey!’ from Sonia. He walked in pace with Raihan. At this point, he wasn’t even surprised. “I still haven’t gotten your name.”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does!” Leon skipped ahead a few steps and blocked Raihan’s path. “We’re rivals now! I need to know the name of my rival!”

“Rivals, huh?”

That’s an interesting concept. Perhaps it would be fun to beat this annoying brat into the ground one of these days. If Leon got far enough, that is. He couldn’t wait to extinguish those flaming eyes.

“Raihan Kibana.”

“I’m Leon Dande from Postwick.” Leon stuck his hand out. Raihan grasped it in a firm handshake. “And that’s Sonia Magnolia. She’s my friend and rival from Wedgehurst.”

“Nice to meet you, Sonia,” Raihan said as she caught up to them. She threw a glare at Leon, who barely flinched. She turned to smile at Raihan, saying greetings in a sugary voice.

A loud announcement echoed through a speaker.

“Last call for the Opening Ceremonies! Check-in ends soon!”

The trio froze. They looked between each other as the words finally dawned on them.

“RUN!” Leon shouted. He bolted, yanking Raihan’s arm with him. Raihan stumbled over his feet, quickly being forced into this new rhythm.

Behind them, Sonia yelled words of protest. Leon laughed in response. He wanted to protest. He wanted to yank his arm away. Yet laughter bubbled up from his chest, spilling out between breaths. Leon looked back at him, a big stupid grin plastered on his face.

This was going to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this months and months ago and finally decided to pick this project back up again. Most of it is written out, but it's a matter of editing and working on it between jobs. So unfortunately don't expect consistent updates, but I'll try my best to get chapters out at a reasonable pace.


	2. Chapter 2

Charmander let out a cry as it collapsed. Leon ran across their makeshift battlefield to cradle the fainted Pokemon. He fed it revives and sprayed potion on its wounds. On the other side, Raihan picked up his recently caught Roggenrola. He congratulated it, feeding it berries (don’t ask how he ate them. Not even Raihan understood) as a reward and to restore health.

The two happened to meet outside the nursery on Route 5. The first gym had been a breeze. The bug type leader was clearly impressed by his skills. The crowd loved him. You know how it goes. With some extra free time, and Hulbury not going anywhere, Raihan had decided to visit the nursery on Route 5. He had been curious about the world of Pokemon breeding. Instead, he found himself running into his directionally-impaired rival. The two bragged about their Bug Badge before challenging each other to a battle.

“See that?! That’s the power of future Champion Raihan!” Raihan sneered. Roggenrola let out a victory cry. “You’ll never be as great as me!”

Leon pulled his hat down to cover his face. His body shook with oncoming sobs. Raihan immediately wanted to take his words back.

_ You went too far. _

He pushed back those thoughts and approached Leon. He didn’t quite know what to say to make him feel better. But an apology was better than nothing.

“Hey, I di-”

“That… Was amazing!” Leon looked up at Raihan with gold eyes sparkling like their namesake. “Thank you so much for battling me!”

Raihan was taken aback. Leon began babbling about their battle, asking where he got his Roggenrola, asking for battle strategies, even talking about his Tympole and wondering how he could incorporate it onto his team next time.

“Raihan!”

“Huh?”

“I said I’m going to win next time! Just you wait!” Leon said with a grin. Raihan couldn’t think of any fighting words. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets.

“You’re weird.”

“Ah, sorry. My mum always says I ramble too much when it comes to Pokemon.”

Raihan just shrugged. “It’s not a bad weird. Do you ramble like this every time you lose?”

Leon laughed nervously. He looked down at his feet. “This is actually the first time I’ve lost.”

“You’re joking.”

“Nope. But there’s a first time for everything, right? Just means I have to rethink my strategy.” Leon crossed his arms, his head tilted to the side. Raihan could practically see the dozens of battle strategies going through his head, ideas leaking out his ears. Suddenly he slapped his cheeks. The action made Raihan jump in surprised.

“Right! Time to find a new team member!”

“You shouldn’t announce your strategy to your enemies. I’m standing right here.”

“You’re my rival, not my enemy. We work together to become stronger! And I thought you’d like to look for a new team member too.”

“Why would I need that? Roggenrola and Trapinch are perfect.”

“But weak to water.”

“So?”

“The Water Gym is next.”

Raihan looked down to where Roggenrola was happily eating berries. It wouldn’t survive a bubble attack let alone an entire water type gym.

“You’re not much better off. Your Charmander couldn’t even beat my Roggenrola. Not that there’s any comparison to a gym leader. Because Roggenrola is definitely better.”

“Yeah. It’s pretty cool,” Leon smiled. He bent down to pet Raihan’s Pokemon. It happily cooed at the touch. “Route Five has a lot of grass types. Maybe they should have set up a grass gym in Turffield. Hey! I know! We can work together. Roggenrola has really good hearing and Charmander can easily take down grass types.”

Leon picked up Roggenrola. He held it up in the air with both hands. Raihan’s poor Pokemon was completely taken by surprise. It flailed its little legs in the air, desperately trying to reach its beloved ground.

“Lead the way, Roggenrola!” Leon excitedly smiled. Raihan snapped out of his confusion to grab Roggenrola from the reckless trainer.

“You scared it!” Raihan snapped at him. He carefully set Roggenrola on the ground. In a frantic run, it hid behind Raihan’s legs.

“I’m sorry, Roggenrola. I didn’t mean to scare you. I got excited. Please don’t hate me.” Leon bent back down. Roggenrola peeked out from behind Raihan’s legs. It saw Leon staring and startled back into its hiding spot.

“I’m blaming you if you’ve permanently scarred my Pokemon.”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“Think about your actions more! Just what is going on inside your head?!”

“Mostly Pokemon… Master said-”

“I don’t care what your ‘Master’ said! Just pay attention to your surroundings for once!”

“I’m not the one that hasn’t noticed your Roggenrola ran off!”

Raihan froze. He looked down at his feet. Said Pokemon was no longer there.

“Now look what you did! You scared ‘im off!” Raihan snapped.

“Me?!” Leon looked shocked. He cupped his hands around his mouth and began shouting. “Roggenrola! I’m sorry! Come out wherever you are!”

Raihan crossed his arms.

_ Like that was going to do anything. _

“Raihan, you too.”

“What?!”

“You’re his trainer. He’ll listen to you. ‘sides, we both scared him off.”

Raihan was about to object when Roggenrola came bursting out from the grass. It cried out as it dashed across the field and back to the safety of its trainer. It shivered as it hid behind Raihan once more.

“Found him.”

“You’re quite the scaredy-cat, aren’t you?” Leon laughed.

Roggenrola peered out from behind Raihan. Its gaze was focused on the rustling grass it had just come out from. Leon noticed and jumped into action.

“A Pokemon?!” He leapt up. “Charmander use scratch!”

Leon’s Charmander charged at the grass. It swiped at the dark figure hiding in the grass. An Applin came tumbling out and rolled into the opening. It looked around in confusion. Leon took the opportunity to throw a pokeball at it. It shook in the air before falling to the ground with a click. Leon cheered and ran over to the pokeball, holding it up victoriously.

“Raihan! Look! I caught an Applin!”

“Hooray,” Raihan deadpanned. Leon ran over to him and shoved the pokeball in his face.

“It’s for you.”

Raihan nearly jumped out of his skin. He jumped back, holding his arms out defensively. Leon stared at him in confusion.

“I’m not accepting an Applin from you! Are you crazy?!”

“Why not? It’d be the perfect partner for you.”

Great. The idiot didn’t even know about the lore behind Applin. For a trainer, Leon really didn’t seem to know much.

“People  _ confess  _ with those things!” Leon’s blank look didn’t change. “There’s a story in Hammerlocke where if you give someone you like an Applin, you’ll be together forever.”

“Like… friends?”

“Lovers!”

“Oh.” Leon thought a moment. He looked down at the pokeball in his hands. “We’re only friends so it won’t count, right?”

_ I barely want to be your rival. _

“I’m not taking the Applin, Leon.”

“Please?”

“No! They’re essentially useless until they evolve! I don’t want a useless Pokemon.”

Leon held the pokeball a little tighter and hugged it to his chest. “There’s more to Pokemon than just battling.”

Raihan called Roggenrola back into its pokeball. He shoved his hands into his pocket and walked away.

“I’m going to the wild area. I’ll find better Pokemon there.”

“But what about Applin?”

“Do whatever with it. I don’t care.”

“I’ll hold onto it. I’ll take care of it until you realize it’s the perfect Pokemon for you!”

Raihan just waved him off.

~~~

Raihan shouldn’t have been surprised when he found Leon waiting for him in the outskirts of Motostoke. He had barely left the Galar Mine no. 2 when he came face to face with his rival. Leon waved him down and the two walked into Motostoke together.

“I saw your match in Hulbury!” Leon tried making conversation. “You did amazing!”

“Of course I did! I always do!”

“Where’s your Oddish? I want to say hi.”

“I released it.”

Leon stopped in his tracks. “What?”

“It couldn’t even win against Wimpod. I told you. I don’t want useless Pokemon,” Raihan said as if he was stating a fact.

He walked a little further, not noticing Leon had stopped completely. When he didn’t hear the sound of footsteps next to him, he stopped too. He turned around, surprised to see a shaking Leon. Raihan raised an eyebrow. Leon stomped over and grabbed Raihan by his hoodie’s collar.

“You just used it for your battle and then just left it?!” he cried out. Anger laced his tone. His eyes were aflame. Not like they were in battle. This was fierce and harsh like the sun waiting to gobble him whole. No words escaped from Raihan’s mouth. “How could you do that to your Pokemon-?! To your friend?!”

“I-”

“Honor your friends more!” Leon shoved him away. He stormed off, leaving Raihan alone to pick up the pieces.

~~~

It had been almost a week since Raihan had last seen Leon. The two had met briefly at the Motostoke gym, but Leon had been pointedly ignoring him. Raihan didn’t know why he had expected Leon to just get over it. To come running up to him as he always does. But now that the nuisance was gone and he could finally focus on training for the Stow-on-the-Side Gym. It was nice not having the purple-haired idiot pulling him into random battles with his stupid smile and his stupid fashion sense. He could focus on finding some real trainers.

_ Without those searing eyes. _

It wasn’t so bad. He was in Hammerlocke now, his hometown. His father had been busy at the gym so he opted to get some lunch before heading to Stow-on-the-Side.

He was used to walking the streets of Hammerlocke. Everything was warm and familiar. The stone walkways were well-worn from centuries of use. He heard tidbits of people’s conversations. A few people stopped to greet him and congratulate him on how far he’s gotten in the Gym Challenge.

Raihan stopped when he saw a girl up ahead. She was looking around frantically. Normally he would have walked on, but she turned around and spotted him. It was Leon’s friend… Sara? No, her name was Sonia. She ran up to him.

“Have you seen Leon?” she asked.

“No.”

_ Not since Motostoke. _

The worried look on her face didn’t leave. Raihan shoved his hands in his pocket. “Why? Is he missing?”

“We were supposed to meet up for lunch, but he probably got lost on the way.” Now that he thought about it, Leon was lost the first time they had met. “I sent Yamper to look for him, but seriously… I should have gone with him through the Wild Area, but he insisted on exploring alone.”

“Hey don’t worry!” Raihan said. “Leon’s pretty tough. I’m sure he’ll show up eventually.”

Sonia didn’t look too convinced. She chewed her bottom lip as she continued to scan the crowd. He didn’t really know Sonia that well. Actually, he didn’t know Leon that well either. But if he had learned anything from his parents, it was to be a gentleman to a lady in need.

“Let’s grab lunch,” Raihan said. Sonia opened her mouth to protest, but Raihan cut her off. “Standing around in the street, worrying isn’t going to bring him here any faster. I say we grab some lunch and wait for him there. I’m sure your Yamper will be able to find us?”

“Well yes, but-”

“Great! I know a great cafe near here!” Raihan grabbed her arm and began dragging her across town.

He brought her to the Battle Cafe by the shopping district. It was midday so the cafe was pretty quiet. The owner happily supplied them with slices of cake and sugary drinks. They found seats outside, in hopes that Leon would be able to spot them out there.

“I’ve never been to a city this big before,” Sonia admitted into her hot chocolate.

“Really? I grew up in Hammerlocke so I know all the best places! Ask away!”

She didn’t ask anything. Instead, she tapped her fingers on the table as she people-watched. Raihan watched his movements. However, what was on her wrist is what caught his eye.

“You have a dynamax band?!” Raihan leaned over the table to look at it. Sonia reflectively pulled back, shielding the band with her other hand. When she realized he didn’t have any ill-intent, she let go and showed him. “Where did you get this? It’s super difficult to get one if you’re not involved with the League. Most Gym Challengers don’t even have one!”

She shyly looked away. “My Gran gave it to me. She’s, uh, well, she’s Professor Magnolia.”

“ _ The  _ Professor Magnolia?!” Sonia nodded. “That’s cool.”

“It’s not cool. It’s a lot of pressure! That’s what it is!” Sonia snapped. She flinched at her own outburst before letting out a forlorn sigh. “Sorry. I’m just a little stressed, I guess.”

“Nah, I get it,” Raihan shrugged. “My  Father ’s  the Hammerlocke Gym Leader and in charge of the Vault. It can be…”

“Frustrating?”

“Yeah.”

Sonia studied him for a moment. Her eyes squinting as she examined his face. Before Raihan had time to feel self-conscious, she broke into a smile.

“You’re not as bad as I thought you were.”

“Huh?”

“You come off as kinda standoffish, but you’re not entirely bad.”

“What are you talking about?” he said with a goofy grin. “I’m a great guy! I’m paying for lunch after all!”

Sonia broke into barely contained giggles. Raihan laughed along, feeling a little weight off his shoulders at finding a kindred soul.

_ Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! _

Yamper’s barks could be heard long before it could be seen. Sonia got out of her chair to scoop it up as soon as it appeared from the crowd. Following in suit was a disheveled Leon. His face was covered with dirt and sand, a cloud of dust following in his trail. He plops down at the extra seat and lets out a tired groan.

Sonia is praising Yamper in a cute, high-pitched voice. She turns to Leon with nothing but a cold glare. “Where have you been?! We’ve been worried sick!”

“Sorry! I got lost in a sandstorm somewhere in the Dusty Bowl.”

“Do you always get lost?” Raihan scoffed. Leon glanced at him once but refused to acknowledge him.

_ He hates you. _

_ That’s fine. _

Sonia looked between the two boys. She set Yamper back on the ground before grabbing her bag from her chair.

“I’m heading to Stow-on-the-Side to meet up with a friend,” she announced. “If you or  _ you _ ,” she pointedly looked at Raihan, “get lost on the way, I’m not helping you!”

“Wait, me?” Raihan pointed at himself. “But I don’t get lost!”

“Can I have your leftovers?” Leon asked before Sonia could respond. “I’m starving.”

“Go ahead,” she sighed. He perked up and let out a victory cheer. “Leon, you’re going to be the death of me. Thanks for lunch, Raihan!”

The two boys waved her off as she disappeared into the crowd.

Then it was silent.

Leon happily ate Sonia’s leftovers while completely ignoring Raihan.

“So have you known Sonia for long?”

“Yeah.”

“Childhood friends?”

“Mhmm.”

“Where are you from?”

“Postwick.”

Raihan drummed his fingers on the table. This was going nowhere. Leon seemed completely content with ignoring him. It was strange. No smiles or annoying calls to battle. In the whole week or so he had known Leon, this was the first time the boy was really truly quiet. He didn’t know what to say or do. His leg bounced impatiently, waiting for Leon to say something.

_ This is your fault. _

He took a deep breath. “I… Well, I’m- It’s just…” Leon stopped eating. He didn’t say anything but looked at him expectantly. Yet Raihan didn’t have the heart to say it. Instead, he diverted. “Have you heard of Nuzlocke?”

Something faded from Leon’s eyes. He stared down at his food, pushing it around with his fork. He wordlessly shook his head.

“It’s an old Hoenn practice. Before Nurse Joys and the invention of the pokeball, it was believed that when a Pokemon fainted, it had died. And because there were no pokeballs or storage system, trainers would catch the first Pokemon they would find. It’s sort of ridiculous by today’s standards, but some trainers still practice it. They see it as a challenge or just genuinely believe in Nuzlocke.”

“I had heard a bit about it. But why tell me?”

“My  Father follows a form of Nuzlocke.”

“You Dad… does that happen to be Dion Kibana?” he asked. Raihan nodded. “Oh, I see.”

“This is all supposed to be mind one day. Hammerlocke, the Vault, the Gym. If I want to follow in my  Father ’s footsteps, I can’t lose. I can’t have any weak Pokemon. If I’m not strong then- If I’m not strong then- then- yeah…”

Leon stared long and hard at Raihan. He looked thoughtful. Quietly contemplating the fate of Raihan.

_ He hates you. _

“You don’t…” Leon spoke slowly and carefully. “You don’t have to be your father. You are the most talented and extraordinary person I’ve met. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are special.”

“Leon…” Raihan’s voice caught in his throat. “Did you just try to change a movie quote?”

“Sorry!” Leon laughed it off. “I was trying to make it relevant to your situation, but…”

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“So I’ve heard,” he laughed.

“But thank you. I really needed to hear that.”

Leon let out a little hum. “I’m sorry I shoved you.”

“It’s okay. You were right. I should treat my friends better.  _ All  _ of them.” Raihan stuck out his hand. “Friends?”

“Friends.” Leon grinned as they shook hands.

_ A step in the right direction. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say except, yes Raihan is a bit of a jerk, but he gets better I promise. There shall be development.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick tw! For implied trauma!

Raihan clicked his shiny badge into place. It had been tough, but he had managed to win. Silicobra had created a masterful sandstorm which edged away the HP of the Normal Type Gym Leader’s Snorlax. It gave him ideas for new strategies which he could try out later.

He stretched his arms out to rest them behind his head. He had some time. Might as well do some sight-seeing. Maybe there was some rare artifact at the bazaar. He had been so eager to get to the gym that he hadn’t even glanced at the Stow-on-the-Side’s famous bazaar. He took the stairs two steps at a time. The last few steps he decided to just jump for it. The landing wasn’t that far off, he could make it.

As soon as his feet left the staircase, he realized his grand mistake. Someone had walked in front of him at the last second.

“Out of the way!” Raihan yelled out. The person barely had time to blink, Raihan was already barreling into him.

They landed on the ground, a mess of limbs and scrapped knees. The person below him let out a groan. Raihan muttered an apology. As he looked down, he found himself looking at a wooloo-print t-shirt and horribly matching jacket. His eyes traveled up, meeting Leon’s face. The smaller trainer continued groaning, his head resting on the ground as he refused to open his eyes.

“I’m dead! This is how I died! I’m sorry, Mum! I’m sorry, Hop!” his voice barely a whisper, meant more for himself than his assailant.

“Leon.” Raihan flicked Leon’s forehead. Leon cracked an eye open, a grin spreading on his face.

“Raihan?! That was you?!” He started laughing. “That was awesome!”

“Right?! Would’ve been cooler if you hadn’t gotten in the way,” Raihan laughed as he rolled off Leon.

“Already get your gym badge?” Raihan asked him. While the ground _was_ very comfy, they were starting to attract a lot of unwanted attention. He got up and brushed the dirt off his coat. He frowned at the new tear in the sleeve of his hoodie, tugging it down in hopes the over-sized folds would hide it some.

“Yup!” Leon threw up a victory sign. Raihan helped him to his feet. “It was really easy with my Char- You’re bleeding!”

Leon suddenly pointed to Raihan’s knee. Raihan looked down,  seeing a very noticeable scrape. He hadn’t even felt it.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” Leon said, grabbing Raihan’s wrist. He led him to the first few steps of the staircase and made him sit down. Leon then started rummaging through his bag. “My mum says to treat scrapes as soon as possible or else your entire leg could fall off!”

He pulled out a red first-aid kit and opened it. Raihan was surprised by how well-maintained it was. There were lots of bandaids and gauze. He wondered if Leon even knew what some of the stuff in there was and how to use it.

“First clean it. Then disinfect it. Then bandaid. I’m always getting scrapes and cuts so you’re in good hands!” Leon smiled, getting little cotton swabs out.

“Do you always carry around a first-aid kit?” Raihan asked. He hissed a little as Leon applied the solution to clean it.

“Yeah. I broke my arm last year and now my mum makes me carry around this big kit.”

“How’d you break your arm?”

“I got lost so I climbed a tree to get a better view, but I fell out.”

“You sure get lost a lot.”

“Sonia says the same thing!” Leon stuck on a wooloo-print bandaid.

_Of course it matches his stupid t-shirt._

“And now! A kiss to make it feel better!” Leon kissed Raihan’s knee. Raihan just stared at him as he did it. He fought back an eye-roll.

“Are you always so childish?”

“It’s not childish! It works! Trust me!” Leon said confidently.

Raihan flexed his knee, swinging it back and forth. He shrugged  which made L eon’s smile widen.

_It’s not like it hurt in the first place._

He waited as Leon packed up his kit and shoved it back into his bag. He watched in amazement as Leon managed to shove that kit into his s eemingly bottomless bag, only displacing a few pokeballs.  It made Raihan wish for a bigger bag. But that wasn’t the point.

“Heading to Ballonlea?” he asked as Leon swung his bag over his shoulder. The other boy stiffened.

“About that… Want to go with me?” he asked, sheepishly.

“Not particularly. I was thinking of checking out the bazaar then camping out tonight. It’s easier to go when it’s light out, y’know?”

“That’s okay! I can wait!” Raihan raised an eyebrow.

“Hold on, are you scared?”

“No!”

“That sounded like you were scared.”

“I’m not scared! Well I mean, I’m not scared of the Tangle. It’s just… I will definitely get lost if I go alone.”

“Why not ask Sonia?”

“She already left for Ballonlea.”

“Okay… any other friends?”

“I mean there are plenty of other trainers, but I don’t really trust any of them. Not like you and Sonia.”

_Trust?_

Raihan paused and thought a moment. Leon looked almost sheepish. His gaze was fixed on the ground as he kicked a stone at his feet. It didn’t look like he was lying or had any alternative motives. Raihan let out a deep sigh.

“Fine I’ll go with you.”

Leon’s face lit up. He grabbed Raihan by the wrist and began pulling him to the entrance of the Tangle. “Great! Let’s go right now!”

“Hold on. I told you I wanted to visit the bazaar first!”

“We can hit it on our way back!”

“Leeeoooon!”

“Raihaaaaan!”

Raihan finally pulled away. He slumped his shoulders as he wasn’t getting anywhere with him. “Fine. Let’s settle this with a Pokemon battle then. If I win, we go to the bazaar and go through the Tangle tomorrow. If you win, we go right now.”

“Sounds good to me!” Leon’s face lit up. He pulled a pokeball from his belt, nearly bouncing in his spot.

_This will be easy_

~~~

_Stupid Leon and his stupid Palpitoad._

Raihan walked out of the Pokemon Center. Leon sat on a bench across the street. He played on his phone as he waited.

“Yo,” Raihan called out. Leon looked up as Raihan approached him.

“Hey. How’s Trapinch?”

“He’s fine. Nurse Joy said he should get some rest and he’ll be fine.”

“That’s good to hear!” Leon smiled. Raihan stared down at his shoes, just waiting for Leon to gloat. “Hey since I won, why don’t I treat you to dinner?”

“Huh?” Raihan looked up.

“Well it’s getting kind of late. It’ll be too dangerous to go through the Tangle tonight plus Trapinch needs to rest so let’s get some dinner and camp out tonight.”

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around? I mean I lost. I should pay as punishment.”

“Punishment? Why? Your Trapinch did a great job! If anything it should be rewarded.”

“But… I lost…”

Leon suddenly grabbed Raihan’s hand. Big golden eyes stared at him, soft and shining with understanding and comfort. “And that’s okay.”

_Oh._

Leon smiled at him. He tugged Raihan’s arm, pulling him forward. “Come on!” Leon said. “You said you wanted to go to the bazaar, right? We’re not going to get  anywhere if we keep standing here!”

~ ~~

“You’re scared.”

“I’m not scared!”

“Look at you, you’re practically shaking.”

“From excitement, Raihan. From excitement,” Leon corrected him. Despite his claims, Leon still clung tightly to Raihan’s arm. The two stared at the entrance of the Tangle, neither daring to take the first steps in.

“You know I heard that fairies live in there, ready to whisk away children who have done bad deeds!”

“Is this about last night? I told you I was sorry for eating half your curry!”

“This isn’t about the curry.”

“Then stop trying to scare me.”

“I thought you weren’t scared.

“I’m not.”

“Then go on.”

“No you go on. You’re the navigator.” Leon tried shoving Raihan forward.

“Yeah but you’re the one that needed _my_ help!” Raihan shoved him back.

“You first!” _Shove._

“No you!” _Shove. Shove._

“No you!” _SHOVE._

A girl with long black hair passed by them. She barely glanced at them as she passed. Her Chewtle stared at them, bewildered by the two trainers. The girl whistled for it to follow, so it did and the two disappeared into the Glimwood Tangle.

“After her?” Leon suggested.

“Works for me.”

Raihan took a deep breath.

_Into the unk-_

_Slap! Slap!_

_What?_

Raihan looked over at Leon. The boy now had two reddening cheeks. He balled his hands into fists, almost as if he was ready to fight anything that came out at them.

“Let’s go!” Leon grabbed Raihan’s hand and ran through the entrance of the Glimwood Tangle.

“Wrong way!” Raihan dug his heels into the ground. Leon turned back to look at him like a Yamper that had just had its leash pulled, confused yet excited. “You were about to get lost.”

“I told you I have a bad sense of directions.”

Raihan stared at him for a long moment. There was no hint of sarcasm or any indication of a joke in his voice. Not even the fake playing up a quirk lilt in his voice. “No, I got that, but it hasn’t even been two minutes. There’s no way you could get _that_ lost.”

“I once got lost in a grocery store aisle.”

“Wha- how?”

“In my defense it was a long aisle and my mum was in the next aisle.”

“That didn’t- know what? I’m just going to believe you on this one.” Raihan pulled out his phone and a portable town map. “The Tangle is notorious for being like a maze, but if I mark our path then we should manage just fine.”

“Right! So this way it is!” Leon pointed to the left path.

Raihan took the right.

Leon followed behind him, but Raihan didn’t miss the giant pout on his face.

_This place isn’t so bad._

Raihan thought as he stepped over an overgrown root. Some sunlight would do the place some good, but other than that it was kind of… home-y? Mysterious? Maybe, if he dared to say, pretty? That is once you get over the creepy mushrooms. And the perpetual nighttime. Not knowing what will jump out at you… Or the maze where one wrong turn and your could be stuck there for the rest of your life. Not to mention that feeling where the hairs on the back of your neck start to tingle. And you just know someone’s staring at you.

A flash of pink.

Glowing red eyes burst out of the bushes. Long, spindly claws stretched out, ready to attack him. A battle cry.

“Axew! Crunch!”

A burst of light and an Axew materialized, clamping down on the Morgrem. It let out a howl, backing away as soon as Axew had released it from its jaws. It glared at Leon’s Axew, but Axew’s resolve didn’t waver. Morgrem huffed and jumped back into the bushes, deciding the battle was not worth its time.

“Raihan are you okay?” Leon returned Axew to its pokeball. Raihan stared at the spot Morgrem just was. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything. “Your hands are shaking.”

Leon held Raihan’s hands within his own, in a feeble attempt to get them to stop shaking. He frowned when that didn’t work. Leon took Raihan’s map from his hands. After looking it over, he carefully folded it and shoved it in his pocket.

“Right! So that’s how it is!” Leon grinned. He pulled a pokeball out from his pocket and threw it into the air. Charmeleon shook off the light, adjusting its eyes to the darkness surrounding it. The flame on its tail grew a little bigger to provide warmth and light to the boys.

“Raihan?” Leon asked. “Do you want to go back? Charmeleon can lead the way. I’ll be fine.”

“No. I’m… I’m okay. Let’s go.”

He didn’t feel like he could walk properly. He grabbed onto Leon’s arm for support. He stared down at the ground, kicking a small mushroom at his feet.

Leon patted his head then turned to Charmeleon. He explained the situation to the pokemon, who only nodded and began leading the way.

It was tough walking like that. Raihan clinging to Leon’s arm, the two stopping every few feet so Charmeleon could figure the way out. Perhaps he was smelling the air for other trainers. Or maybe being Leon’s pokemon partner meant you become such a good navigator that a map just isn’t necessary. Raihan didn’t have much time to ponder that.

A shadow caught their eye. Raihan’s grip on Leon tightened. He reached for a pokeball in his hoodie. Charmeleon’s light illuminated the shadow. Floating there was a tiny Sinistea. It blinked at the two trainers before floating off,  unfazed by the visitors.

“Just a Sinistea,” Raihan sighed in relief.

“You seem awfully relieved for someone still clinging to my arm,” Leon laughed.

“Ah, sorry.” Raihan let go.

“You can hang on if you want to. I don’t mind.”

“It’s just so you don’t get lost.”

“I won’t now that Charmeleon is here!”

“Uh huh and was he here when you got lost in tha-”

“Sprii!” a loud voice interrupted them.

_Apples._

It smelled like apples. The fake kind. The kind that stings your nose because of how fake it is. That sharp smell. Perfume never got it right. Because if it did it wouldn’t smell of her.

“A Spritzee?” Leon said.

_You’_ _re not good enough._

No.

_Keep training._

No.

_Champion._

No.

_Champion_

Stop.

_Raihan._

“Raihan?”

“No.” Raihan shook his head. It hurt. The scent. That stupid fake apple scent. “No. No. No. No.”

“Are you oka-”

“No. No. No! No! No!”

Distantly he heard his friend calling out to him. Distantly. Raihan hadn’t even realized he had moved. Not until Leon was gone. Not until he could no longer see the light of Charmeleon. Not until he couldn’t see anything except the faint glow of mushrooms.

Not until the ground became the sky. And pain shot up his leg.

Raihan sat up. He took in his surroundings. Forest. Nothing but inky forest illuminated by creepy mushrooms. It looked exactly the same as where he had just been with Leon.

Raihan doesn’t cry.

Crying is for kids. Raihan’s not a kid. He’s ten. Not a kid.

Yet his hands were shaking. His stomach churned, wanting release from his body. His head spun and his eyes stung. It wasn’t his fault when those tears came spilling out. But he didn’t stop them. He didn’t want to.

There was nobody.

Leon was gone.

Sonia wasn’t even here.

And his parents. Back in Hammerlocke.

Here he was alone.

So alone.

Movement snapped him out of his spiral. His hoodie pocket was moving. It was shifting around. Raihan reached into his pocket to pull out whatever was making that movement.

It was Trapinch. It pushed up against the confines of the pokeball, anxiously pushing against the walls. Raihan let it out.

“What do you want?” Raihan asked, wiping away tears with the back of his sleeve.

Trapinch didn’t say anything. He doesn’t know what he was expecting. It trotted up to him and rested its head in his lap. Raihan froze, wondering what it was doing. Trapinch nudged Raihan’s leg, trying to snuggle closer to its trainer.

“Are you… trying to comfort me?”

“Pinch!” Trapinch smiled.

Raihan pulled Trapinch into a hug. He clung onto it for dear life.

“Thank you.” He shook with new tears, less salty tears. “Thank you. I’m sorry. You’re right, I’m not alone.”

Trapinch’s body was enveloped in light. Its form changed and stretched. Raihan had to let go to readjust to the new size. The light dissipated and Trapinch, now Vibrava, shook out its new form.

“You evolved?!”

Vibrava smiled and chirped happily at him.

“This… This is amazing!” Raihan pulled it into another hug. Vibrava happily flapped its wings.

It broke out of the hug to test out its wings and experimentally fly around. Raihan laughed as it tried to fly. Vibrava was a little wobbly, losing speed and height every once in a while, but it was quick to pick up on flying. Minutes later Vibrava was flying circles around Raihan.

“Okay, okay, don’t wear yourself out,” Raihan laughed. Vibrava chirped as it landed on Raihan’s shoulder.

“Raihan!” a voice called out.

_Leon._

“Raihan where are you?!” Up ahead he could see a faint light.

“Leon! Hey Leon! I’m over here!” He heard a gasp and watched as the light got closer. Leon rounded the corner, Charmeleon hot on his heels.

“Raihan!” His friend ran up to him. “Are you okay?! What happened?!”

Leon sat down on the ground next to him. “And Trapinch! It evolved!”

“Yeah. Pretty cool, right?” Vibrava nuzzled Raihan’s cheek. “And I’m sorry about running off like that. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay. But are you okay? Are you hurt?” Leon began digging through his bag. “I have the first aid kit! And some food! And berries! Wait do berries even work on people?”

“You really came looking for me? Even though you always get lost?”

“Of course!” Leon grinned. “That’s what friends are for!”

Raihan pulled Leon into a hug. Leon stopped, unsure what to do. But after a moment he wrapped his arms around Raihan too.

_I’m not alone.  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

“No way!” Sonia gasped at the two boys. “You got hurt in the Tangle?!”

Leon sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Well Raihan did. But we were lucky that there was a trainer in Ballonlea with a Ponyta!”

“Yeah!” Raihan swung his leg back and forth to demonstrate. “Did you know they can heal injuries? Now it’s good as new! Bet it gave me superpowers too! Cause I won against Opal!”

“As if I didn’t have to hold your hand the entire time it healed you.” Leon shoved against Raihan. He shoved back and the two boys laughed as they pushed against each other.

After their little adventure in the Glimwood Tangle, Leon and Raihan thought it would be best to avoid it on their way back. After they had gotten their Fairy Badges, they hailed a taxi and flew back to Hammerlocke. They ran into Sonia on their way and the group decided to get lunch together. They sat in the same cafe from before and laughed and caught up over fizzy drinks and cakes.

“And check it out! Charmeleon evolved during my battle with Opal!” Leon boasted, holding out his pokeball so the two could see Charizard sleeping inside.

“You’re lucky,” Raihan groaned. “Vibrava couldn’t have evolved at a worse time. If it had stayed a Trapinch then maybe we would have had an easier time. Oh well.”

“You know the Kibana family is known to be great dragon tamers, but you don’t seem to have a lot of dragons on your team.”

“I guess not,” Raihan shrugged. “Maybe I should start a ground type gym instead of taking over the Hammerlocke Gym.”

“What, is that your backup plan?” Leon laughed. “When I become Champion you’ll have a big ground type gym?”

“You wish!” Raihan said. “When I become Champion, I’ll remember to visit you in the farmlands, Wooloo boy.”

“Wooloo boy?!” Leon gasped dramatically, clutching at his heart. “I’ll have you know that there’s more to Postwick than herding Wooloo! I’ll tell you when I think of one, but there is!”

“I’m glad you’re both doing so well in the Gym Challenge,” Sonia said. Both boys stopped their bickering to look at her. Sonia poked at the cheesecake on her plate. She pushed it aside without taking so much as a bite out of it. Raihan shot Leon a warning look as the latter hungrily eyed the cake like a Purrloin about to swipe the watch off your wrist.

“How is your Challenge going, Sonia?” Raihan asked, nudging the cake away from Leon’s grasp.

“I’m thinking of quitting.”

Leon froze. He jumped out of his seat, slamming his hands on the table. “But you can’t quit, Sonia! You’ve come so far!”

“Yeah,” Raihan nodded, “it would be a shame to give up now.”

“I don’t know… I just don’t think I’m cut out for this.”

“That’s ridiculous! You’re one of the smartest people I know!” It was Raihan’s turn to slam his hands on the table. “You’re Smart Sonia! Sonia the clever clogs! No wait! Miss Clever Clogs! The Cloggiest of them all.”

That managed to get a giggle out of her. “Clever clogs? Are you insulting me right now?”

“You? Never.” Raihan thought a moment. “You know smart people need to be in smart places, right? I know just the place to cheer you up!”

~~~

“Whoaaa!” Leon’s eyes sparkled as he stared up at the aging tower decorated with dragon memorabilia. “This is Hammerlocke’s Vault?!”

“Are we even allowed to go in?!” Sonia gasped, not tearing her eyes away from the impressive castle-like structure.

“Of course! I’m going to run it one day. That means I get to choose who gets permission to enter,” he bragged.

He reached into his bag and fished out the spare key to the Vault. Not just anyone could get in and Raihan had remembered to take the spare key before he left on his Gym Challenge. He unlocked the doors and pushed them open with Leon’s help.

The trio coughed at the dust that rose up from their opening. His father rarely visited the Vault these days aside from the occasional inspection. It had been long enough that the dust had settled into their homes, only being disturbed by the children entering. The only light came from a small, slit window above their heads.

Raihan turned on the flashlight on his phone.

“Come on! You guys will love this place!” Raihan grabbed Sonia’s hand and began pulling her to the staircase to the rest of the tower. Leon followed behind at his own pace, marveling at the architecture and history resonating from the room. Sonia had to grab onto his hand to prevent him from getting lost (she claimed he’d manage it somehow).

They climbed the steps up the side of the tower, briefly admiring the view before Raihan pulled their little train up the stairs to the next part of the tower.

“This is the tapestry room,” Raihan said, letting go of Sonia’s hands to push the door open with all his strength. “The story goes that my ancestors commissioned these pieces to portray the founding of the Galar region.”

“Whoa! They’re beautiful, Raihan!” Sonia’s eyes glittered with excitement as she stared at the paintings. “One day I’d love to hear what happened.”

“Well it’s all mythology,” Raihan said. “There are going to be different versions of it.”

“Then I’ll just have to find the original!”

“Hey Raihan! What’s this?” Leon was staring at a beautiful golden sword and shield, decked out in jewels and intricate carvings.

“The sword and shield of the twin kings, the first kings of Galar,” Raihan said. “It’s one of my family’s heirlooms.”

“Whoaaa. Imagine fighting with those,” Leon marveled.

Raihan laughed. “ You couldn’t fight with those, they’re purely ceremonial. Some legends say that the original sword and shield were destroyed after the Darkest Day. Other legends say that the kings buried them somewhere far away so that nobody could use their powers for evil. There’s even a legend that says they are trapped in stone somewhere, waiting for the chosen True King of Galar.”

“You know your legends.”

“I have to. Hammerlocke will be mine one day. It’s only natural that I learn the history.”

Leon stared at the sword and shield for a little longer. He took in the details, the glistening jewels. Then he spoke. “I want to be a hero one day. Just like the first kings of Galar.”

_Leon a hero? How fitting._

He could see it. Leon leading an army in a glistening red cape, a golden crown upon his head. He wouldn’t be one to command from the back but lead from the front. And Raihan would be right there next to him, commanding a dragon, protecting Leon from those who wish to destroy him. And Leon would do the same. Heroes fighting together. Side by side. Now wasn’t that an idea?

“I think you could do it.” Leon’s eyes light up when he says that. “But first you have to fix your sense of directions before you can be a hero to anybody.”

Leon’s mouth bobs open and closed, searching for some kind of comeback. Then he laughs. And Raihan laughs along like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Then it’s over. “Raihan!”

Raihan feels his heart drop to his stomach. He doesn’t have much time to think of a plan when his father grabs him by the arm and yanks him away.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” his father bellowed.

“They’re my friends! I let them-”

“You know that commoners aren’t allowed in the Vault! You’re Hammerlocke royalty! You should know better by now! And is that a rip in your sleeve?! What have you been doing since you’ve been gone?!”

Raihan tugged the sleeve of his sweatshirt down. Not as if it would do much. His father already knew about the rip.

“I just…”

“We’re leaving. Right now.” His father started dragging him away.

How did his father know? Did he come for a random inspection? No it must have been the security cameras.

_It doesn’t matter how. It’s my fault anyways._

“Wait! Mr. Dion!” Leon jumped between Raihan’s father and the door. “It’s not Raihan’s fault!”

_Stop it, Leon._

“I pressured him into bringing us! It was my idea!”

_Lies. It was my idea. Don’t lie for me._

“If you’re going to be mad at anyone it should be me! Don’t punish Raihan!”

_Please don’t. Not for me._

Raihan’s father had the glare of a dragon. It prowled, ready to devour Leon with just one look. Yet Leon stood there, staring back with the eyes of a king. Of a hero.

“Get out,” his father growled. “And don’t think of coming back here. _Ever._ ”

Leon opened his mouth to protest, but Sonia grabbed his arm and started pulling him out the door. “Leon, let’s go. Please?” she begged.

Leon shot Raihan one last sympathetic look before allowing himself to be lead out by Sonia.

~~~

Raihan doesn’t know what he was expecting when he was finally allowed to leave the Vault. He almost expected nothing. Just ready for the world to swallow him up.

What he wasn’t expecting was to find Leon waiting for him. He sat in the park across the street, the Applin he caught from Route 5 rolling around at his feet. When the Applin saw him, it chirped happily and rolled over to him.

“See? I told you she’s perfect for you!” Leon smiled even though his eyes weren’t in it.

Raihan just rolled his eyes as he took the Applin in his hands. He sat on the same bench as Leon. They watched as Leon’s Applin rolled around between them, hopping from one leg to the other.

“Have you seriously been battling with her this entire time?” Raihan asked.

“No. She’s more of a pet than a battler. You know I tried leveling her up once, but it didn’t go well. She got mad and ignored me for a full week.”

Raihan hummed in acknowledgment. He wanted to dig through his bag to find some snacks for the Applin, but he just couldn’t find the energy.

“I like your new hoodie,” Leon said.

“I liked my old one.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Applin jumped into Leon’s palm and jumped up and down. Guess Leon knew what it mean because he lifted her up to his shoulder. She rolled off her free taxi ride and onto Leon’s shoulder, nestling herself against the warmth of his neck.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Raihan shook his head.

“Okay.”

The two stared out across the park, no longer sure what to be focusing on now that Applin had decided to nest.

“I wonder if I can really become a hero,” Leon said.

“You’ll find a way. I know you will,” Raihan smiled.

Leon frowned. “Thank you, but I’m not so sure anymore.”

“If you’re as persistent on pawning that Applin off on me as you are with becoming a hero or whatever then you’ll be fine.”

“I’m not pawning her off on you! I think I’m becoming attached to her.”

“Becoming attached is giving her a nickname.” Leon didn’t respond. “Leon. _No_. You didn’t.”

“Not yet! I just haven’t come up with a good nickname for her!”

“Leon.”

“Naming is an important step in creating everlasting bonds with Pokemon! It’s what my books say!”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

“But I know in the League some people find nicknames to be immature. But it shouldn’t matter if she’s a pet. What do you think?”

“I think I should be getting home. Before I get into more trouble.”

Raihan stood up from the bench. Leon stood up with him. Raihan was about to say something about Leon not needing to walk him home when Leon suddenly pulled him into a hug.

“I’ll always be here for you if you need it.”

With that he pulled away and waved Raihan off.

~~~

Raihan could still see the confetti raining down from the sky, illuminated by the lights of the stadium and fireworks from above. He could still see Leon standing in awe as his Charizard landed a critical hit on Gym Leader Dion’s Dragalge. Raihan watched as his father’s chances of finally becoming Champion were swept out from under him by the boy in the Wooloo t-shirt.

A train screeched to a stop in front of him. The doors dinged open. People flowed in and out of the doors like a carefully rehearsed dance. Some wore suits with phones glued to their ears as they bustled around the station. Some had suitcases in hand and dressed to the nines in sweats and t-shirts, ready for a long flight home. Raihan sat on a bench watching these people. He was early for his train. Way too early.

The doors closed with a garbled announcement. The train crawled then bolted away in a dust of screeching wheels and foul wind.

“Hey,” Raihan said, not even needing to look behind him to know his guest.

“Hey,” Leon replied. The new Champion of Galar stood there in all his newly minted glory. His hair tucked away in a baseball cap and his hoodie up, hoping nobody who had seen yesterday’s match would see him. Raihan patted the spot next to him and Leon hurriedly sat down.

Raihan stared at Leon. Takes in the way he smiles, the way his hair sticks out in odd ways despite the hat and hood keeping it down. His Wooloo t-shirt now replaced with some shirt with the Champion’s insignia plastered on the front. Raihan didn’t realize he would miss that stupid shirt. He doubted that Leon would keep it. He had a new uniform after all.

“How’s it feel? Mr. Champion?” Leon pulled his cap down to cover his face. Raihan chuckled.

“It doesn’t feel real yet,” Leon said. “And I’m only Champion because the old one left and I won the tournament. It’s not like I battled a real Champion.”

“What? My Father not enough of a challenge for you?”

“I- That’s not what I- Dion was a tough challenger and I am grateful for the opportunity to battle him.”

“Relax I’m just messing with you,” Raihan chuckled. “You sound like this is an interview.”

“Sorry. I’ve done a lot of them today.”

“I bet.”

Raihan sank further into his chair. He stuck his hands in his hoodie pockets, playing with a loose thread inside.

“Are you going home?” Leon asked.

Raihan nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“My Mum is hosting a barbecue to celebrate my victory. You’ll get to meet Hop and Sonia’s coming too.”

Raihan thought a moment. The idea did sound nice. He had been wanting to try some of Leon’s mother’s cooking. Leon always said she was an amazing cook. Unlike Leon, who nearly burned down their tents last time he tried cooking curry. Raihan only understood the basics of cooking, but _that_ much fire could never be good. Since then Leon had been relegated to dish duty whenever they camped together.

“It’s tempting, but I don’t think my Father would approve.” Raihan cleared his throat, deepening his voice. “You wish to party with commoners?! We only dine at the most elegant places! Eat the fanciest of foods! Those cupcakes aren’t for eating! They are decoration!”

Leon covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. He fails and ends up bursting into laughter. Unable to help himself, Raihan joins in.

The two calm their laughter into giggles as another train rolls to a stop in front of them. People dance in and out of the train. The two boys watch as the doors close. The train whirls away, leaving the two boys alone in the station.

“You would’ve won.”

“Huh?”

“You would’ve won,” Leon repeats. “The semi-finals I mean. It was a close match and maybe… Maybe if I hadn’t- no, if I hadn’t been so lucky.”

“Hey don’t sell yourself short. I lost because of my mistakes and mine alone. So don’t go getting all glum on me! Seriously do you just sulk and feel bad for your opponent every time you win?”

Leon smiled a little. “Just you.”

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not.”

“An observation,” the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. It quickly fades. “I knew how much you wanted to be Champion.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Raihan leaned back on the bench. He held onto the bottom of the seat for balance despite there being a backing so he doesn’t fall off. “I’ll just beat you next year and take the crown.”

“You’d really redo the entire gym challenge for that?”

“Why not? I already have an Endorsement. Those things are good for life. At least I think so. I doubt my father would give me another if mine expired.”

“I’d give you an Endorsement,” Leon nudged Raihan. Raihan laughed.

“That’d be pathetic! Imagine endorsing the very person that defeats you!”

“It’s not pathetic! A Champion’s Endorsement is the highest honor!”

“Yeah, yeah. Well I don’t need your pity Endorsement. The Great Raihan shall endorse himself!”

“Is that allowed?”

“Don’t know.”

The two glanced at each other. Then broke out into familiar laughter.

To be honest, Raihan didn’t know what he was expecting. It wasn’t like Leon was going to completely change overnight. What with his fancy new title and neatly pressed uniform. Sure he would miss the stupid Wooloo T-shirt. But if he was being honest, Leon was really pulling off the new shirt.

Same stupid smile.

Same stupid antics.

_Same stupid Leon._

And Raihan had never been more grateful for that.

Above them, a garbled announcement chimed in that sounded somewhat like “Hammerlocke Station.” Raihan stood up, grabbing his bag from the floor. Leon stood up with him.

“Well this is mine,” he said.

Leon pulled him into a tight hug. “See you around then?”

“Yeah. See you around.” Raihan patted his back and let go.

His train began rolling in, slowly but surely screeching to a stop. When the doors opened, Raihan pushed his way into the stream of dancing people. He found a nice cozy spot by the window and plopped down. Nobody really talked to each other, which Raihan was content with. He scrolled through his phone, deciding whether to message his parents or not. His body lurched slightly to the side as the train began moving. The people around him began whispering to each other.

“Hey… isn’t that the new Champion?”

_Champion?_

Raihan turned around in his seat to look out the window. Leon was racing against the train. His hood had been pulled back, revealing to the world his messy purple hair. When he saw Raihan staring at him, he broke into a grin. He waved a hand in the air. Then he shouted something. It’s not like Raihan could hear him against the rattling walls and the squealing wheels, but Raihan knew just what he was saying.

“ _Let’s battle again!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What up? Sorry for the delay. My computer broke and I haven't had the time to get a new one. Been working off of my external hard drive on a borrowed computer when I can. Next chapter will take a while. Hope you enjoyed!


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